KL Rahul Quits Delhi Capitals? Set to Lead a Champion Team in IPL 2026

India batter KL Rahul has been in the headline for the last few days as the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 approaches. There have been a lot of trade rumors going around ahead of the auction with Rahul’s name being the top in the news.

Rahul, who is one of the best players in IPL history, was part of the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the last edition. After his association with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ended due to the tiff with owner Sanjiv Goenka, he decided to part ways with them and came into the auction where he was signed by Delhi Capitals.

Rahul, who was acquired by the Delhi Capitals for around INR 14 crore, was expected to lead the team. But that wasn’t the case as the franchise went ahead with the allrounder Axar Patel.

Despite that, KL Rahul Delhi Capitals tenure was successful as he scored truckloads of runs for his team despite batting in various positions. But couldn’t take his team to the playoffs as the Axar Patel-led side, despite winning their first four games, failed to qualify for the playoffs.

What will be New KL Rahul IPL Team?

Ever since the IPL 2025 ended, there have been various talks around KL Rahul changing his franchise. Various reports have claimed that the batter won’t be there in the DC as various teams have approached him just ahead of the auction.

Among all teams, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) seem to be the frontrunners to sign him. for the. As per the reports in ANI and various other media outlets, the three-time champions are pushing hard to get Rahul as they need a captain as well as an opening batter. The chances are high that for KKR to become KL Rahul new IPL Team in the 2026 season of the league.

The reports also claim that Delhi Capitals will be acquiring Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, who has also expressed his desire to leave the franchise due to some differences with the team management.

KL Rahul Captaincy to be Back in IPL 2026?

The reports further claimed that KL Rahul will be captaining KKR in the IPL 2026 season. This also means that the franchise is also all set to part ways with Ajinkya Rahane, who was the captain of the team last year, taking the charge following the exit of Shreyas Iyer.

KL Rahul has been a beast in the Indian Premier League over the years. If he joins KKR, this will be his sixth franchise in the league, having already played for some of the best teams in IPL like RCB, SRH, PBKS, LSG and DC. The right-hander has been running consistently in the league and his addition will be a massive boost for KKR. The franchise struggled last year and his presence can change things for them. They will be also under their new head coach Abhishek Nayar, who has also served as the team's assistant coach earlier.